Translating her love for understated design into a stripped-back, sophisticated grid, Elif has mastered the chic, androgynous vibe that social media is growing to lust over. She’s the girl who has a capsule wardrobe down pat, yet effortlessly sports an array of new looks with the help of timeless accessories on high rotation.

We’re not fully-fledged stalkers (we swear), but If you’re also pondering ‘how?’, and can’t pull yourself away from Elif’s photography, her words, or her recommendations – Elif has kindly obliged to share a host of tips on adhering to a streamlined blogging style…

What editing tools (if any) do you use on your Instagram uploads?I use VSCO cam to put filters on, Snapseed to adjust saturation, and Afterlight to cut the photo and touch/retouch if I need to remove anything from the photo.

Your Instagram aesthetic is minimalist and muted, yet effortlessly chic. How do you maintain this feel and resist the urge to clutter up an image?I’m actually not resisting anything; I’m like that in real life too. My home is not cluttered, my wardrobe is not cluttered. I like it simple and clean.

Do you have a favourite filter you like to turn to?M5 and HB1 are my favourites on VSCO cam.

How would you describe your personal style in a few words?It’s masculine and always comfortable with a feminine edge, minimal and muted (like you said!).

Do you plan and schedule your posts, or let them happen when the inspiration hits?90% of the time I plan and schedule, but of course I take some of my photos randomly when I feel like it.

Do you often collaborate with brands? How do you decide which companies to affiliate with?Since this is what I do for a living – I often collaborate with brands, but I try to be really careful with the amount and quality of the projects I’m doing. It’s really important for me to stay true to myself; I’ve been blogging since 2010 and worked on it while I was working other jobs, so it was never about the money. I don’t work with brands and use pieces that don’t fit my style aesthetic or ethical guidelines.

Who takes your outfit photos?My husband, who is thankfully as good with the camera as a professional photographer, so I’m really lucky.

What camera equipment do you use?Canon 5d mark iii with a 1.2 50mm lens.

How have you grown your following to an impressive 100k+? How long has it taken you to achieve this?I tried to post something everyday, I tried to maintain an aesthetically pleasing feed. I was always careful with the colours and most importantly light. I took notes of which types of photos worked the best and tried recreating them but always with new content – nothing bores me more than the same photo over and over again. When I felt like it was time, I changed the overall look of my feed and direction to a lot more fashion and I’ve come to a place where I don’t care so much about the likes and followers anymore, I’m just posting whatever I like. I think it took about 3 years to reach over 100k.

Tell us a bit about the origins of The Fashion Medley. Have you always had a passion for written communication and editorial as well as design and visual content?I started back in 2010 when I went to Milan to study fashion management. I always had the passion; I just needed an outlet to share the new brands I discovered. In years it turned into a style blog.

What’s up next for The Fashion Medley? Where are you hoping to take it?I’ve always been into vintage and interior design, so I’m hoping to do something about it – maybe a little shop of curated pieces… I don’t know, we’ll see…

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